GlocalNet

Most people have the idea that when you start a church it’s either all up or all down - that simply isn’t how it works.  You should always be able to draw a line through the ups and downs and track up - even if just a little - but in the middle- there are incredible highs and lows that come along.  If you don’t understand those and prepare for them, you can really make some bad decisions based on how exceptionally “good” or “bad” things are. 

The biggest high for a church planter is right after God has called you to start a church - telling your first “non-family” friend what God has called you to do.  The sky is the limit.  Nothing has been done - it’s a dream, it’s a potential - it’s hard to knock a dream and potential.  You keep sharing . . . . until . . . . the biggest low comes, the first person you respect who tells you you shouldn’t start a church because of gifting or opinion.  We’ve all been there - my Dad who loves God, actually discouraged me from starting NorthWood, I’d been talking to several really large churches about being a senior pastor and why should I start a church when I could go to a ready made church of thousands?  You have to recognize God’s call enough, and it be clear enough - that regardless of what someone says - you listen, but you still move forward.  Now you’re getting closer to ready to start - not because others agree with you, but because they don’t and yet you know God’s call.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to assessment, etc., - it means God calls people to start massive churches globally - who their primary criteria for doing it was and is that God called them.  There wasn’t any assessment process!

Your second highest day is when you go public for the first time in a worship service!  Hopefully you’ve already engaged your city, hopefully you’ve started cells in the city - now you’re ready for your first corporate gathering.  You do a mass mailer, you invite ever stray dog you can - and you have a crowd and it’s a lot bigger than you expect!  You’re the next Mark Driscoll or Darin Patrick - everybody is singing your praises!  Then comes next Sunday …

// Continue Reading //

How do you determine nation-states and land disputes among tribes and nations?  I wonder how many times the lines have been drawn globally to make nations, only for one nation to create itself within another nation (like the United States with Native American Indians).  No conflict on earth reflects this like the Palestinian-Israeli crisis.  But they are not alone - the Kurds of northern Iraq, Turkey, & Iran, the Pashto that are in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Many of these modern conflicts were created by the maps drawn by exiting colonial powers - particularly the British. 

Sometimes when lines were drawn - they were deliberately drawn across tribal and racial lines in order to prevent one group from running over another or sadly to create conflict enough so that the exiting power could still have access to resources in a particular nation. 

There will never be complete resolution of these issues.  With a connected world and migration like never before, there has to be new ways of governance and representation outside of creating new nations or there will be continual war.  It becomes all very complex - for example there are more Indians, Pakistani’s, Bangali’s in Qatar and the UAE than Arabs.  They are exported labor.  Do they have rights,  should they have representation in Qatar?  I have no doubt, there are conflicts simmering beneath the surface that if the world would be proactive in addressing would prevent a lot of war and make sure that basic human rights are not ignored. 

The answer is in Wikipedia!  This article is about the political concept. FEDERALISM - - Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. The term “federalism” is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces). Federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments, creating what is often called a federation. Proponents are often called federalists.
In Europe, “federalist” is sometimes used to describe those who favor a common federal government, with distributed power at regional, national and supranational levels. Most European federalists want this development to continue within the European Union. European federalism originated …

// Continue Reading //

If you’re interested – you can follow me on twitter @bobrobertsjr and see some pictures and tweet while I was in Iraq – but I’m at Heathrow in London and have some time and thought I’d blog a little bit about what I saw and what I experienced.  Having been in war zones and devastated areas from natural disasters – it was nothing like I expected.  There was a lot of hustle and bustle and commerce going on.  It didn’t feel like a war torn region.  Yes, you could see the bullet holes and other vestiges of war – but it felt like a place on the move.  The infrastructure is present – roads, communications, trade, electricity, and water, etc.,  Yes, each place had it’s own back-up generator, but who doesn’t in the world?  People were also incredibly friendly – smiling everywhere you go, talking to you. 

Iraq should be optimistic about it’s future.  Few places have the kinds of things that Iraq does.  It’s natural resources – oil and other – and natural gas is over the top some saying much more than Saudi Arabia.  The topography of the land is breathtaking – it has deserts as you would expect – but not the mountains and green and rivers and springs that I saw – I never realized how beautiful it was.  The history is rich – from Ur of Chaldees where Abraham came from, to Nineveh, Babylon, and Basra.  The people are it’s greatest resource – industrious, warm, and passionate about desiring a better future. 

I met with government leaders, religious leaders, tribal leaders, and business leaders.  What stood out was what they wanted – it was the same thing we all want . . . .

They want FREEDOM.  They talked a lot about rule of law in order to protect them so they never have a dictator again or a government that bull dozes over the people.  They are not optimistic they will get it – but they want it.  They haven’t governed themselves before – so there is “political immaturity” and ignorance that is a real challenge for them on how to build coalitions and teams to accomplish objectives and see that rights are maintained.  They want to raise their families safe and prosperous.  Both Shia’s and Sunni’s hate the current violence and each group says the same thing – that it’s …

// Continue Reading //

In the present/past the church has been present in worship, politics, morality, religion . . . but absent in other conversations and contexts that have the ability to spread the good news of Jesus like never before, but that is changing . . .

The church has done missions - but hasn’t done global.  We get missiology - but so little of globalization.  Without realizing it, and then in ignorance celebrating it - we are viewed by the rest of the world as religious colonialist that promote, expand, celebrate a “western religion” ignorant to cultures, tribes, and nuance.  YET, I have been so excited in what I have seen in this emerging young generation.  They say the millennials are the “first globals” - they don’t remember a time they weren’t on the internet.  Corporate funding and selective sending of a few to serve billions doesn’t mean collaboration - it can mean denial and refusal to accept a new world which limits the spread of the gospel.  In the past, we in the West have celebrated tribal responses to the gospel - but that is insufficient for a global order.

The church has done “ministry” or even been “missional”, but has not brought about reconciliation and restoration.  In my era and culture, the present/past church made salvation about the person - ignoring that God not only wanted to change people - but cities and infrastructures as well.  You see this in all the justice issues, millennials are engaged in from human trafficking to micro-finance to doing social media campaigns against dictators - and they do this with all the evangelistic fervor that you could imagine. 

The church has done theology by tribes, once you join the tribe you accept it verbatim as the leaders of the tribes dictate.  That no longer exists.  I was in a country with a young Assembly of God, a young Baptist, a young Methodist - and they all shared the same theology on the Holy Spirit.  Tribes were not seen as determining belief as much as they were funding and networking.  The soon and emerging church is asking questions like never before and exploring options - and while this may frighten some, and no doubt will lead to some excesses - it will also lead to deep thinking and new understanding of God that we haven’t had since Calvin & Luther. 

In the …

// Continue Reading //

20 years worth of lessons on multiplying churches out of Northwood -

It hit me this week while being here at Exponential – it’s been 20 years since we helped start our first church.  It was Bear Valley Community Church and Sam Carmack was the pastor.  I often pass the church in our community. It has grown and done well.  There are a lot of things I’ve learned – and even changed in my thinking since then.  Northwood has over 20 churches directly in its own target area – most are 2 to 4 miles from where our campus is, and we’ve started another 160 across the country. 

First, money isn’t the key – it’s even a hindrance.  I know of three times, where huge amounts of money were put into a church prior to its launch to insure it would grow.  It never did.  What is true of global church planting is true of American church planting – money actually gets in the way of growth.  Money becomes the answer and the key – and it never is.  If you have faith, you never lack funds.  You may not have all you want, but you will have all you need.  The past two years we’ve been able to plant over 20 churches a year – if we had an old funding model, it would never work.

Second, there is nothing more difficult than planting a church for someone who isn’t called or gifted – you must be honest and tell some people no.  We tell singers they can’t sing in a worship team if they can’t – as painful as that is.  We must also do the same with planters.  I’ve watched guys get the spot because they had a “position” that got them there or they had “money” or they knew “someone” – and that is always a mistake.  I learned early on, you have to say no sometimes.  It doesn’t mean that person doesn’t have a great ministry ahead – just that they may not be a planter.  This is where assessment, prayer, and evaluation are critical.

Third, what that new church does early on, sets its path for years to come.  Historically, there has been so much focus on the church as a worship service, and traditional ministries that have to be started, that you can mindlessly start a church.  Sure, you think about marketing, …

// Continue Reading //

There is NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT than having the right DNA for a new church plant.  There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT EITHER!  DNA doesn’t come from you, it comes from the parent – Jesus is the head of the Church and so he puts it within us.  The challenge for us is not having the right DNA, but the challenge is how we see it encompassing and defining all that we do in the ministry.  Hirsch in Forgotten Ways is as good as it gets with the Apostolic DNA – all of those 5 parts must be present.  If those 5 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher – not so much offices as ministries) are functioning – your church will grow, be healthy, and do everything it needs to do.  Furthermore, the unique things each church does will grow out of that DNA – so some churches will be big others small, some different characteristics – but all from the same head – Jesus Christ.

Having said that, there are some behaviors that will help you dramatically develop that DNA quicker and in a healthier way.  It takes behaviors that lead to proper function.  First, you pull up, then crawl, then walk, then run – it’s a process – you never start running first.  Here are some things NorthWood & Vision360 tells its planters are critical behaviors to do in the first year of its life.  If these behaviors are present – we’ve found churches will be healthy and grow and complete.  If they aren’t present, they become add-ons down the line separate from the church as a whole. 

BEHAVIOR #1 Disciple people in cells, and, Church Planter, your cell is the first one.  The first cell is the planter discipling his leaders.  Even in teaching them how to lead a cell, you are training your future cell or small group leaders how they are going to train others.  Don’t do something twice.  Write your manual for raising leaders as you go.  I look for leaders that are people magnets.  I look for leaders that can inspire and encourage.  I don’t look for the great “Bible Teacher” to lead a cell.  It, sadly, often becomes about their teaching and not taking people where they are.  I was with a planter who was sharing with me how he’s had 200 salvations his first year and has baptized …

// Continue Reading //

When we train our church planters, I begin by telling them the number one requirement for being a church planter.  They’ve generally had some level of assessment.  They first do an on-line assessment to make sure the gifts, talents, abilities, etc., are all in line.  Later there will be a more thorough assessment.  But the primary requirement for me isn’t always found in an assessment.  It’s what Paul, Peter, John, and Jesus said – “IMITATE ME.”  I discovered this in a very profound way early on when I became obsessed with the Sermon on the Mount and the whole concept of the Kingdom of God.  It’s what was taught and what was expected to come - and there was a lifestyle that went with it.  It was also being lived, which definitely required the Holy Spirit.

Until a church planter can rise up a group of disciples and say “imitate me” or stand before a congregation and say “imitate me” they have no business planting a church.  In the Scriptures the primary qualification of leadership in a church is integrity and intimacy with Christ.  All the other stuff is good and sometimes necessary - but without integrity and intimacy - you will be as one of my mentors told a group of us “a shooting star destined to be a falling star.” 

I did not say be perfect - no one is.  I did not say they won’t make mistakes - they will.  But do they handle them in a Christ-like and biblical way.  I did not say they will not struggle in life, marriage, and work - everyone does.  But there must be a consistency of character and integrity that provides a model or pattern for others to see what it looks like for someone to follow Jesus. 

What makes church planting so hard is that it’s a young man’s sport - and the problem is you aren’t just starting a church, you’re starting a family, a life, even to some degree your “life work” or career if you will - and all of those have challenges, difficulties, etc.  I’ve also discovered that in your 20’s, you simply try to get out on your own, and whatever was tough growing up, you ignore it - only to be confronted by those demons once you’re on your own.  Then in your 30’s, when you have the wife, the …

// Continue Reading //

Ephesians teaches us that there are 3 dimensions of church - sadly people take one of these three and make it the whole church - but it takes all three to be the church.  First, is the cell, the house, the basic church made up of a community of Jesus followers where you operate as the body of Christ in a small group of 3 two 15.  Second, the congregation or the city church, where those cells gather to worship and mobilize the body to engage the city and the world.  Third, the global, universal or “catholic” (which is more than the Roman Catholic church - it means universal church).  Most people today argue over which form is best the cell or congregation and never even think of the global.  Today - we think of you and you matter to us.  Many of you cannot worship freely or openly but Christ lives within you - you are his temple - the temple has been rebuilt - and it is within you as Jesus said. 

We are grateful for your courage - you challenge us not be shy about our faith, you often pay with your blood, we only pay at most with inconvenience or someone making making fun of us. 

We are grateful for your movement - please help us.  You are growing and exploding like no other time in the history of Christianity.  You have covered the face of the earth and your churches multiply like crazy.  Come to us, help us, teach us, “evangelize” us - we need it.  Don’t come for your own tribe that has moved here, come for the Anglo, the African American, and the Latino - we need your help. 

We are grateful for your character, humility, and integrity.  You have not succumbed - most of you - to Christian superstardom - please don’t.  We have set up idols within our own faith of money, success, and strategy, 

We are grateful for your fresh insights to Scripture, theology, and what a truly global faith looks like.  You must forgive us, though we travel, we rarely see the world, we see our tribe and our work - and that’s about it.  Because of your global context, fresh eyes on the Scriptures, and passionate commitment to the Gospel, you see things we never have.

So, to the Messianic Church of Israel - …

// Continue Reading //

Next Page »